Cotton-bale tie



(No Model.)

T. H. DODGE.

COTTON BALE TIE.

No. 280,725. Patented July 3, 1883.

' monwealth of Massachusetts, have invented U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

THOMAS H. DODGE, OF VVOBOESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

COTTON-BALE TIE.

SPEGIFIOATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 280,725, dated July 3, 1883.

.Applioation filcdApril 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOS. H. DODGE, of the city and county of WVorcester", and Comcertain new and useful Improvements in Gotton-Bale Ties; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a side view of a cotton-bale tie having my said improvements added thereto. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the same tie when united or con nected to the loop ends of the band. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on line a b, Fig. 1; and Figs. 4., 5, 6, and 7 represent modifications, as will be hereinafter more fully de scribed.

To enable those-skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe the device more in detail.

My invention consists of improvements in the cotton-bale tie patented to J. J. McOomb, January 29. 1861, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, the part marked A is the complete tie, and embraces the said Me Combs invention, in combination with which certain new elements are formed, viz:

First. A strengthening-groove, c, on both sides, and which enables thedevice to be made lighter, while at the same time additional strength is obtained. The groove '0 prevents the ends 13 and G from bending or springing out, and consequently a thinner piece of metal can be employed than as made prior to my invention.

Second. In the McOomb tie, as patented, the square corners were left at the points d, and the tie was liable to break at one of those corners, but which difficulty has been overcome by making the cut slightly rounding, as shown in the drawings, and this also permits a thinner plate to be used.

Third. As the original tie was made the inner corners, f, were square, and consequently when the band I) was strained on these sharp edges the band was not only lia ble to be cut, but the separate tie ends B and C were liable to be twisted by the sharp edges thereof, preventing any slip of the loop when subjected to great strain as the bale If preferred, the tie may be made long enough to give sufficient strength of metal at the ends 9 9, without the groove extending entirely around the opening F, in which case the groove may extend only on one side, as indicated in Fig. 4, or at the corners, as shown in Fig. 5, Fig. 6 representing a section on line 0 d, Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 a section 011 line 6, Fig. 5, of the drawings.

In the drawings the slit for the introduction of the band is indicated by the figure 8. The long grooves upon the side of the tie through which the slit 8 is made are formed by means of rolls, at the same time the strip itself is rolled out, and 'the shape given by the grooves imparts great stiffness to that part of the tie-piece which is weakened by the presence of the slit, while the swaging or compression of the metal between the rolls itself increases the strength of the piece. The smaller grooves may be formed either by compression-dies or by rolls provided with projections of the proper shape. By this formation a much stronger tie-piece is obtained with the same or a less weight of metal.

The edges f f may be milled off or pressed round, and such operation be performed at the time of cutting or stamping out the opening F.

Having described my improvements in cotton-bale ties, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A metal strip for a cotton-bale tie, provided with a central opening, and having strengthening-grooves formed by compressing the metal, substantially as described.

2. A bale-tie provided with a central opening having rounded corners and edges, and with strengthening-grooves around the sides of said opening, substantially as described. 3. A metal strip for making cotton-bale ties, provided with corrugations 0 along the edge, through which the slits 8 are made, substanti ally as set forth.

THOH AS H. DODGE. 

